- December 21, 2020
- Posted by: Admin
- Category: Kotlin Development
Android is one of the most used mobile platforms and hence also the best option for businesses to cover a huge audience base with creative mobile apps. These many years Java was ruling the android sector being the most opted programming language by the developers. But now technological advancement has given a new programming language named Kotlin. It is a Google product for Android mobile app development introduced in the year 2017. It is a static programming language based on JVM (Java Virtual Machine). The technology has revolutionized the Android sector with its latency and outstanding features. Initially, the technology didn’t gain much recognition but with the Google announcement of extending support to the technology a rapid growth of Kotlin users has been noticed with an ever-growing graph making this technology one of the best and most preferred programming languages for Android. It has also brought a quick transformation in career opportunities for developers. Most enterprises are hiring Kotlin app developers to develop a top-notch native app for the Android platform.
Kotlin Programming Language in Brief:
Kotlin is recognized as one of the most powerful technologies used for Android app development having the potential to transform the future of mobile app development into being safer and more reliable for developing any type of app. The reason stated by most of the developers using Kotlin is that it is quick to code as it offers repetitive functionality. It is a robust technology having the capability of serving a bug-free and flawless app development reducing the testing and rectification time.
Kotlin was developed by a Czech-based development company that was renowned for developing IDE solutions. The technology was developed in the year 2011 but very first hit the market in the year 2016 and got recognition in the year 2017. The intention of building this language was to make internal development and the concept behind it was to develop a technology-based Java programming language.
Java offers repetitive codes that can be used to develop apps but it is also tough to understand and to code also. JetBrains to simplify the programming language and remove inherent verbosity issues developed Kotlin language. Now, most of the top brands are using Kotlin for their app development.
Use case and applications of Kotlin:
Kotlin is being accepted and used by countless developers worldwide. In recent days, start-ups are using and leveraging Kotlintechnology as it offers great ease of use and excellent compatibility with Java. The kotlin programming language resembles Java and hence it offers the liberty to mix and match the language with Java without learning it from scratch. The best quality of Kotlin is that it can be used to develop any type of application, whether it is for the Android platform or to run on a laptop. The investment for the development of Kotlin was a huge amount for developing tools for supporting the language and also supports the developers to develop iOS app development too. That means a developer skilled in Kotlin technology can develop Android, iOS, as well as desktop applications. Sooner, Kotlin is going to rule the software domain being the one-stop solution for all types of development.
Why Java must be replaced?
Java is one of the oldest app development programming languages, but a shift from Java to Kotlin has been noticed in recent days. You might be having an end-to-end knowledge of Java programming language, and might be also aware of all undocumented elements of Java that are only possible for a highly experienced professional, and changing from such a mastered language to a new one doesn’t seem to be a wiser idea. Do you think the same? Several reasons imposed the developers to leave their deep-rooted skills and opt for a different way. A few of those are listed below:
Java is very old:
Java is one of the programming languages used for a long time for developing various apps and even today’s app development sector is witnessing a plethora of apps taking a lead over others developed using Java. But Java needs to be merged with various other tools and supports to attain the latest features to satisfy the growing demand of the digital world.
Java is error-prone:
Java is used for a long duration but the way null points are handled by the language leads to errors. The probability of error is higher in the app developed with Java programming language. Nullability has become the biggest problem for developing the Android problem to perform flawlessly.
Verbosity and ceremony:
Developers always prefer lesser coding because more writing codes may lead to a higher probability of errors and bugs. Java doesn’t extend liability to use ready-to-use codes, rather it requires writing codes from scratch even for simple tasks.
Kotlin is the solution
Several issues and bugs raised by Java demanded the emergence of a new programming language. Java is now not the only solution that is being used for Android app development. JetBrains developed Kotlin as a solution for all the issues faced by the developers while using Java. There are myriad benefits offered by Kotlin, a few of which are listed below:
100% Java Compatibility:
Kotlin possesses 100% interoperability with Java as it can be merged with Java. The viability of Java is excellent with all Java devices. Also if you are willing to migrate from Java to any other language, Kotlin can be the solution and the benefits that you can get by using Java and Kotlin together can be catered by Kotlin only.
Automatic conversion from Java and Kotlin:
In recent days Kotlin has been considered the best programming language for app development and most enterprises are converting their Java-based apps to Kotlin the most important benefit offered by Kotlin is a direct Java-Kotlin converter that makes conversion easier and quicker. No need to write codes anymore with Kotlin tools.
Productivity enhancement:
As discussed Java has several loopholes that restrict the development of the high-performing app. Kotlin has the power to remove all the verbosity of Java programming language. That means Kotlin offers the flexibility to use ready-to-use codes from the libraries and reduces the probability of error and also reduces the time of coding. Libraries of Java have a wide range of incomplete codes that consumes a lot of time for the developer to code the missing part. Instead, when Kotlin was compared with Java, it was depicted that Kotlin has 30% additional codes with the complete programming. This increases the productivity of the developers helping them in developing apps faster than ever.
Reliable, secure, and reduced bugs:
The codebase of Kotlin is smaller and much clearer when compared with Java. Being an extensive library to choose codes Kotlin reduces the chances of errors and also makes the coding stable. Kotlin is also capable of detecting errors at the time of accumulation in real-time to make the app more steady and robust.
Why choose Kotlin for Android app development over Java?
Java was the most preferred language for Android app development by the developers and by the enterprises too. But with the popularity of Kotlin, all developers who are aware of the benefits of this programming language never turn back to Java for Android app development. A few of those crucial benefits that enhance the performance of your app and your development productivity are listed below:
Kotlin is swift:
Kotlin is integrated with the Android studio which makes it extremely swift for app development just like XCode. A function can be set within ten minutes using Kotlin. Another feature that makes it one of the best programming languages is that it replicates Java completely and has all the functionalities offered by Java.
Safer and easier than Java:
If compared Kotlin with Java then definitely Kotlin will have an edge over Java. Kotlin requires lesser coding which saves time and also reduces the possibility of error making it more bug-free.
Kotlin is multi-platform:
Kotlinhas been one of the replacements of Java and is used for Android app development, most folks have a misconception that Kotlin can only be used for Android app development. But kotlin is a multi-platform programming language that can be used for the development of desktop, iOS, and also web-based apps.
Latest technology:
Technology is transforming every day with the innovative demands of the digital world. To match the pace of this changing digital world, you must opt for the latest technologies that are built keeping all the latest transformations in mind.
Conclusion:
The software world is witnessing rapid change with the emergence of the latest technologies. At present time, the most robust programming languages like Java are being replaced by recently introduced languages like Kotlin. Kotlin is gradually covering the entire space of Android development and also it is extending its benefits to other various platforms. Kotlin is developed with a plethora of benefits, such as less coding, an extensive library, tools support, 100% compatibility with Java, and many more. All these benefits have made Kotlin the best choice for all developers. Whether you are willing to develop a simple app or the top-notch one, Kotlin is the one-stop solution for all your requirements.
Faqs:
Does Kotlin is only used for Android app development?
Kotlin was initially developed for Android app development or can be said for all those platforms that can support Java Virtual Machine. But with the later enhancement of the technology and the introduction of Kotlin 1.1, JetBrain announced that the programming language can be used for any type of front-end development.
What is the current version of Kotlin used by top developers?
The latest version of Kotlin is 1.4.21, published recently in December 2020.
Does kotlin is open-source?
Kotlin is open-source right from the beginning of its launch and it will be always free to avail any developer to use it effectively for any type of app development.
Is kotlin a functional language or an object-oriented one?
Kotlin offers the benefit of being both object-oriented and functional ones, you can use it in any way. Also, you can mix this language as both types in the development of a single app.
What type of advantages does Kotlin offer over Java?
Kotlin is smaller and swift too. Java has several incomplete codes that make the development much more complicated and time-consuming also. Instead of that, Kotlin offers 40% more complete codes than Java making the development much faster. Another benefit of Kotlin over Java is reduced null contents that decrease the probability of error.
Can Kotlin be used for backend development?
Yes, Kotlin can be used for backend development too as it supports Java virtual machine and also it supports all the frameworks used for backend development such as Boot, Spring, and vert.x, JSF, and more.